May 1st
The palace has just announced that King Ahad, has been ill for the past few weeks. There have been no reports as to the specifics of his health, but he is not expected to recover. It is yet unkown at this time which of his sons will suceed him. Prince Nahum is the oldest, however, rumor has it that Prince Menachem will be the succesor.
I'd note that the other half of the kingdom is of the various Coptic Ethiopian tribes.
Hmmm, pre-Catholic Christians.
It's noted in the encyclopedia. They are allowed to practice their religion in peace, precisely because they are not Catholic. Interestingly, the Ethiopian dynasty claims to be able to trace their bloodline directly to King Solomon of Israel.
And getting back to the story...
May 13th
The forbidding slopes of the Mount Entonto where home to the headquarters of the Royal Zionite Army. It was here where General Allon made his headquarters. And it was here where the events of the next few days where to play out.
The meeting had been improumpt but even then security was tight. The precense of both General Allon and Prince Nahum would have been enough to spark interest, but also present was one of the Chief Elders, Abdul ben Ahijah.
"The time to act is now. We can not wait for your father to die. Take the throne now before your brother is annointed, if we act fast we can gain control before it is too late. The Italians are massing to the North, the Catholics are preapring to strike the Ottoman Empire, we must act now. Your brother is too weak to stand up against the gentiles. The Army stands behind you."
"You are right, General. What about the Elders?"
"They will follow, it is the King who dictates the law in New Zion."
"Are the preparations ready?"
"They are my Prince..."
OT
The Coptic/Ethipian church is younger than mainstream, Catholic AND Orthodox, Christianity.
The mainstream can be said to date from 325, the Council of Nicea.
The break with Copts dates to 451 AD, the Council of Chalcedon, on the esoteric issue of:
Christ has one Nature - combined and inseparable Divine and Human
Christ has two combined and inseparable Natures - Divine and Human
Borys
I'm amused that New Zion apparently hates Catholics, but was seeking to purchase arms from Gran Colombia not so long ago...
GC is in the New World and the Government is not involved in religion. But it's also due to the fact that New Zion doesn't know much about GC but knows plenty about the European states.
Quote from: Desertfox on June 16, 2008, 10:42:54 PM
It's noted in the encyclopedia. They are allowed to practice their religion in peace, precisely because they are not Catholic. Interestingly, the Ethiopian dynasty claims to be able
Er...
The Ethiopian part is half the government, not a tolerated minority.
This was an alliance (even a bit cumbersome) after the breakup of the Caliphate of Cairo.
Its New Zion so it has to have a Jewish majority, but the Ethiopians are definately an integral part of the government, even if a minority. The Council of Elders would include some Christians and Muslims, and the Knesset is elected by popular vote. The King himself is in a way (have to determine that) related to the Ethiopian royal line.
Quote from: Desertfox on June 17, 2008, 03:24:30 PM
Its New Zion so it has to have a Jewish majority, but the Ethiopians are definately an integral part of the government, even if a minority. The Council of Elders would include some Christians and Muslims, and the Knesset is elected by popular vote. The King himself is in a way (have to determine that) related to the Ethiopian royal line.
OK
slightly OT
Ahoj!
Maybe crafty, Jew friendly Ethipians latched themselves to the Zionists?
The Ethiopians could be a majority, but the Zionists have the money and the modern know-how?
Borys
Ethiopians are the majority, but since they are split between Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Native groups, it makes the Jews (both native and immigrant) the political majority.
Finally getting caught up...
May 23rd
"The King will not last long, his condition deteriorates day by day. We must act know. General, are your troops ready?"
"They are, the Greek Crisis has come at a most oportune moment. Our forces have been mobilized under cover of a potential Italian invasion."
"Then we move tommorow, by the time the moon rises tommorow, you shall be King."
Security at the Royal Zionite Army headquarters was tighter than usual. Only the most trusted and experienced soldiers strode its halls on this night, yet someone else knew about the plot...
***
Early May 24th
They called him a Man of God, but his official title was Special Advisor to the King, and he also served as the liason between the King and the Council. Now this man found himself on the road from Tel Aviv to New Jerusalem. His horse was moving at a faster pace than normal, for on this day Natan ben Tchaikoski had a very special message for the King...
Early May 24th
The lone man entering the Royal Palace had no need for a pass nor a guide. He now made his way towards the Queen's quarters.
"Natan, what brings you to the palace so early?"
"Your Majesty [the queen], do you not know that Prince Nahum has declared himself King without the knowledge of our King? Now we must act quickly, if we are to save your life and that of your son..."
.
.
.
Queen Zauditu wasted no time in taking the advice. With all haste she made her way to the King's quarters.
"What brings you here my dear?"
"Your Majesty, did you not promise, before the Lord our God, that 'Menachem your son shall be King after me'? For now Nahum has declared himself King and General Allon and Elder Abdul are with him. Even today, the eyes of all Zion are upon you to tell them who will reign in your stead."
As she spoke the man entered the room.
"You Majesty, the Special Advisor to the King is here."
"Your Majesty, have you declared that Prince Nahum is to be King after you? For at this very moment he is being anointed king."
"Call in Zaudit."
As the Queen entered, the aged King Ahud sat up on his bed.
"As I promised by the Lord our God, your son shall be King." then turning to Natan, the King continued to speak, "Call for Elder Yitzhak, Natan, and Barak, Commander of the Royal Guard. Now you will take my son Menachem and anoint him King, for he have I appointed ruler over all of New Zion..."
The New Zion chargé d'affaires in Madrid is requested to come to the Iberian Foreign Ministry. The following note is handed over.
Excellency,
The recent battle of the Sea of Crete involved two warships that used to be of the Confederate Navy; Ex-CSS Texas and Ex-CSS California. The Confederate Government has informed Madrid that these ships and others were sold to your nation. As the ships fought under Ottoman Colors at the above battle, Madrid assumes that they were resold to the Ottoman Empire. My government would like to confirm this and to ask if any other warships were sold to the Ottoman Empire, to avoid any other mistakes between our two governments.
Foreign Minister,
Diogo Freitas do Amaral
A pointed telegram is delivered to teh Zionite Liason in Madrid...
"Untill the time that Iberia returns the illegaly held Zionite man-o-war, New Zion will be under no obligation to provide any sort of information or mis-information on anything or nothing we have or have not sold to anyone or noone."
Excellency,
I am most distressed by this reply and I have to inform you then that the Iberian Military will assume the worst if warships of New Zion are spotted within the Med. As to the Negav she was badly damaged at the Battle of Chago's and is not going anyplace for the moment. As to her future Madrid is willing to pay $2 for the ship, payable as soon as the current conflict with the Ottoman Empire ends, this amount is far more than the ship is worth before our navy shot it up. View the nature of the payment as you see fit.
Foreign Minister,
Diogo Freitas do Amaral
Trying to catch up, some of this actually overlaps into 1913.
From Wikipedia: History of New Zion
1912 was a tumultuous year for New Zion. King Ahad was gravely ill, while the Ottoman War raged in the Mediterranean. As the King's condition deteriorated, Prince Nahum began to plot with the Army to take the reigns of power. The intention was not only to dethrone the younger Crown Prince, but to use the turmoil in the Med to invade Italian Somalia. The coup began well, the Army, using the Ottoman War as a pretext, it was mobilized and selected units began moving towards Jerusalem. However, somehow the King's chief advisor got wind of the plan. With the King's approval, a counter-coup was quickly planned and staged. In the space of a few hours, with the assistance of the loyal palace guard, Prince Menachem was crowned King of New Zion, with the approval of the population. The plotters, their plan discovered and upstaged, had lost the chance to act. General Allon was killed resisting arrest, Prince Nahum was pardoned but later executed for conspiracy, and the discredited Elder Abdul ben Ahijah was banished into exile.
However, all was not good in New Zion. Internal lowscale turnmoil continued for a few months, while the Ottoman War caused its own problems. The capture of the Negev, caused an uproar and calls for revenge. While the assasination of the Pope in Rome caused further problems, with the threat of invasion ever present. But by the start of 1913, Menachem had secured the reigns of power and moved quickly to strengthen the Zionite Armed Forces. Using the popular outcry over the Negev as an excuse he managed to pass by the Council the largest spending bill ever by the Zionite Navy, while at the same time talking to the Egyptians in order to secure Zion's northern border...
1913...
From Wikipedia: History of New Zion
...as the year 1913 continued the future began to brighten for New Zion. Oil was discovered in the Gambela region, the first of three pre-Arcadias arrived from Egypt, and finally there was the purchase of an obscure aircraft manufacturer Lascurain. Then it sparked little interest but the company would later rise to be one of the giants in the Aerospace Industry...